


A Rebounding Hero in a Theatrical Display of Despair

by InvisibleFriend



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 22:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5472212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisibleFriend/pseuds/InvisibleFriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Super High-school Level Yo-Yoer Katsuro Kyouken is bound to a castle about four miles below the ground. He's not alone, though - there is a certain other person who caught his interest, or rather, his overbearing need to protect. </p><p>A rewriting of the beginning of Ultra Dangan Ronpa RP: Forlorn Field Trip focusing on Katsuro Kyouken and his faint relationship to Harmon Grennan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Purity Amongst Despair

**Author's Note:**

> To my recipient, you probably know who I am only from reading the title. To whoever else might be reading this, I'm sorry. To whoever else that is reading this that doesn't know the source material (an RP on a forum), I'm especially sorry.
> 
> (Parts of the flow of the RP were changed to properly represent the "ship". I also apologize if I expand/represent a character incorrectly. This especially concerns Katsuro.)
> 
> Merry Christmas to my recipient, and to everyone reading this as well!

....

_*ding dong*_

The PA system in the uncomfortably humid and warm room crackled to life, taking Katsuro by surprise. The ride down to the castle was a lengthy one, and exhausting with the temperature chiming in. His hands were in his pockets the whole time, looking for his yo-yo - or any of them, rather - seemingly not there, which made him feel a bit less like himself. He's always had a yo-yo on him, so walking around without one was something that barely ever happened. Even during sleep he held one close to himself, usually the one with stars on it because it had reminded him of the night.

The PA system seemed to have faded once more, and so the female voice speaking through it. "We'll arive at our destination at fifteen minutes", it said, which was what stuck out to Katsuro the most. He'll be happy to be free of this humid tunnel, and so would the other students, most likely. He yawned and stretched out once more, even if there wasn't much room to do so. Staring with his gaze locked forward, those fifteen minutes felt like an eternity. Archeron's Tunnel had not been the most interesting place, definitely not deserving it's special name. Though he was quite impressed by the fact that this tunnel was more than 4 miles long. Katsuro wondered just what kind of place this "Tartarus Towers" is gonna be from the inside... because from the outside, he clearly can't judge it.

A wave of relief washed over the students once the entrance hatch of their means of transport welcomingly opens, youth streaming out of it right into the big ante-chamber of the "castle". The interior definitely seemed to suggest as such, the marble flooring pristine and the golden chandelier dangerously dangling over the heads of the students. The military supplies scattered around the ante-chamber might've distracted from the royal feel a bit, but it reminded the Yo-yoer why they were here. He took a few steps forward, seemingly in awe. But it was not because of the interior, or any of the other students, no - he was just ecstatic to finally rid the world of despair, having reached their headquarters. He momentarily forgot that he wasn't even alone and was only reminded when there was a person right in front of him. Getting out of their personal zone, Katsuro took a few steps without a word and put on a sheepish smile. Right. He should probably get himself to introductions. Other students seemed to be getting a head start on that. He wasn't listening closely to them, but he heard **Treasure Hunter** and **Super Sentai**. Such odd talents. At least his own one made sense to himself. Thinking of his talent, Katsuro fished through his pockets once more, but no yo-yo suddenly popped inside, leaving him disappointed and empty.

"As long as I have my yo-yoes and a strong heart, everything should work out," Katsuro muttered to himself. Maybe his yo-yos were just in his room. That would be the easiest and quickest solution, and fill his heart with a surge of hope. He looked around for a mirror, finding none. He fixed his hair without one, checked if his breath was bad and tugged at his jacket to adjust it. Adjusting his sunglasses as well, he introduced himself to the others. "Nice to meet you! I'm Katsuro Kyouken, Super High-school Level Yo-Yoer. Though, Treasure Hunter-san, I didn't quite catch your name... what was it again?" He rubbed the back of his head, an insecure chuckle escaping his lips. 

The rest of the students had made an extravagant entrance as well. A Super High-school Level **Diva** acted just like one - her first act once she came here was complain. Not a person he'd really like to get involved with. There was also a **Sports Fan** who yelled his ears off. Among the students were also a **Ringmaster** , a **Conspiracy Theorist** (another odd talent in Katsuro's mind), a **Sniper** whom he's actually heard of before, a **Shrine Maiden** ... and he'd list some more in his mind but the dangling chandelier caught his attention in the meantime. If only he had a yo-yo with him, he could mess around and perform a trick to make this seem a bit less stale. 

His eyes snapped away from the chandelier when his name got called out. By the volume and tone of voice, he could only figure it was the Sports Fan guy. He seemed to be a fan, and a... rather strongly-smelling one at that. Katsuro scratched his nose, not very pleased, but, a fan is a fan. "Uh... hey there." He tried to muster up a smile, but looked far too unsure to manage it. God, this first impression deal was difficult. How is he going to work with his allies if they'd rather avoid him? Well, right now, he seemed to be dealing with a guy that already let Katsuro on his good side, so that made him a bit more relaxed. It gave him a bit of hope, so to say. Pulling his hand from one of his pockets (still no yo-yo to be found), he extended it to let the other guy shake it. So he did, just staring around, seemingly distracted all of a sudden. It had confused Katsuro, but no matter. "It's been a long time, uhhh, not like... we met, I mean, I've seen you, it's... it's cool. The stuff you do, so, yeah." Katsuro chuckled at that, but did not respond. "So you're part of the hope for the future or something like that? That's... pretty heavy, I gotta say. All this hope. Right here." He pointed at himself, making Katsuro laugh again. He removed his hand from the other, probably needing to wash that later. "You're part of this new hope too, as are all of us... let's work together well, alright?" 

Once he was done with that interaction, Katsuro's eye was caught by the Diva from before and a ginger who she clearly seemed to have some sort of control over with how their conversation was going... at least going by the bits Katsuro was able to make out. It was pretty cute, and they'd totally make a good couple from afar. ... But maybe he's just thinking too rashly again. His train of thought was quickly interrupted by a mechanical voice, sounding like it came from a woman. Everyone in the room got quiet, even the overexcited Sports Fan from earlier, listening closely.

  


> "Hello, and welcome to Tartarus Towers! The Future Foundation regulations require personal ID to be used to unlock certain electronic locks- like the ones on the entrances to your sleeping quarters. If there is not a Future Foundation representative to distribute these ID's, feel free to sleep on anything not mission-sensitive. If you are not sure if what you are sleeping on is mission-sensitive, please cease all sleep at once and wait for a Future Foundation representative to inform you of any given object's mission importance. Everything of importance will be handled by the administrative user of this OS. However, if you require information, feel free to call on 'Id', the name of the base AI and this OS. Have a nice day, and remember: you are the hope of the future."  
> 

_You are the hope of the future. **You are the hope of the future.**_

Hearing that made Katsuro feel warm and pleased, knowing that he's part of this mission to rid the world of despair. Though looking around... maybe really anyone could become a symbol of hope if they tried?

.. No, thoughts like those will just be unnecessarily harmful and distracting from their goal. He was well known already for his various tricks, recognition as a symbol of hope wasn't required. Though he'd certainly like it...

While he was thinking, the Diva and the ginger guy which drew his attention seemed to have left already. Bummer, he'd rather not explore the castle on his own. He looked around and made a beeline for the workout room. Alright! Time to build off some stress from that long ride and get pumped to go through with this whole Hope vs Despair deal! He took a 10 pound dumbbell, starting off easily. He was concentrated, that much was certain. Even if it wasn't that difficult of a task, the distractions that later came with it were definitely not helping him. The Diva had returned, this time without the orange-haired boy, which, oddly enough, made Katsuro frown for a moment. She definitely posed a distraction. Thinking about it, what was her name again...? Calliope Tokuno, or something? She was famous and he barely even knew her... but it was impressive that someone like her would be fighting against despair if you ever heard any of her songs. Or at least, it seemed like that to him. 

However, she later left but another nuisance came strolling inside the workout room, but this time, making Katsuro feel far more nervous than before. He might've been making himself look a bit like a fool earlier when the Diva saw him work out, but this was different. It was the tall girl from earlier, though he did not catch his talent. Katsuro noticed her, but it looks like that fact might've slipped past her. Katsuro's palms started getting sweaty and he could barely hold the dumbbell anymore. The way she was watching him made him feel uneasy, worries coming back to his mind. 'Oh god, what if she thinks I'm some kinda punk body builder with these arms... well, I guess I could pull it off-- but that doesn't matter! God, this is an awful first impression!' And in a flash, Katsuro turned around to defend himself, but dropped the 10 pound dumbbell and sent it flying right onto his feet.

**"God DAMNIT! Ouch! Christ!"** Katsuro hopped around the room on one leg, dropping f-bombs like mad. At some point, he dropped onto the ground and onto his fours, begging and apologetic, hoping the tall girl won't think bad of him. First impressions, dude, first impressions... Katsuro was losing a bit of his confidence again. His eyes were locked to the ceiling, but once he noticed that the girl seemed to be examining his foot, he looked back down... sure, she wasn't gentle, and it wasn't very comfortable, and his foot still hurt like hell, but it was nice to have made an acquantaince so easily, even if the way he did it was idiotic to no end. They were allies after all. It gave him yet another glimmer of hope. "Nothing big, just a small cut and bruising." With a few less words, she suddenly started carrying him. Katsuro yelped, but didn't do anything about it. "Uh... I think I can hobble to the hospital myself." The girl, who quietly introduced herself as Seltha, Super High-school Level Survivalist, later, gently laid him down on one of the beds. It was comfy, even if it was odd laying in a Hospital Bed in less than a damn hour once this thing began. 

While Seltha was treating him, he noticed the duo of Diva and... whoever the ginger was come in. He grinned, then flinched because of the pain. Katsuro looked down at his foot. The bandage was sloppy, but it did the job. Certainly looks like something a Survivalist would do. "I will be remaining stationed here for a moment to take care of you, but I shall head off soon enough." Seltha coldly muttered, looking to the side, hiding her face with her scarf. Calliope seemed to be in thought, looking for something. Considering they were in a hospital, and Katsuro thought that she had this dangerous aura around her, that certainly couldn't mean any good. Seltha seemed to register it was well, but she did not do anything about it just yet.

"So, uh..." Finally, the ginger spoke up. His voice was soft and he could even hear an accent from it, even if what he heard was very little. The guy looked nice enough from the outside, so it may be worth making him another ally. Though, of course, everyone here was an ally! Even the Diva, and if he had to work for it to make her one. Though, knowing how she behaved earlier in a tantrum, the yo-yoer might avoid her for now... But with the ginger, she seemed like a completely different person. Nice, a bit teasing, and certainly someone he could become acquainted with. Stars always seemed to be like that, though. Nice on the outside, but just another lying snake that'll soon bury his fangs inside you. And if that was the case, the ginger was her prey, and the fangs already deep in his skin. Katsuro sighed. "What are we doing here?" asked the boy, the question most likely going to the Diva. She, however, did not respond, looking back and forth between Seltha, the younger guy, and me, of all people. Her gaze was far from a friendly one, more a bit frustrated, in fact. "Tch... I'll have to return-- later. Harmon, stay~here and be nice to the others, mmkay?" She said with her sweet voice, then gracefully leaving, still seeming quite frustrated about something.

Harmon, was that his name? If that was the case, said Harmon also sat down on the hospital bed next to his. Seltha sighed, seemingly growing bored, and leaving after Calliope. Katsuro hoped those two wouldn't pick a fight, they'd seem to clash quite violently with their different personalities... Katsuro was staring at his feet, and Harmon did the same, the brown-ish eyes of the guy gazing at the blindingly white floor of the sterile hospital room. It got a bit awkwardly quiet, until Harmon spoke up again. "Err..." He slowly extended a hand over to my bed and nudged himself a bit closer on his own seat. "I don't think we've met up until now. Harmon Grennan, Super High-school Level Playwriter. You might've heard from me before. But I'm not as well known as Calliope, that's for sure, heheh..." The british accent in his voice was clear, he'd heard something like it before. Katsuro shook his hand firmly after hesitating for a moment, brightly grinning, then flinching a bit because his foot still hurt by some small margin. He should probably be able to walk again, though it'll be a bit rough. He'd much rather just relax for a moment, even if it was a bit awkward to have Harmon next to him. Being alone sucked, though, so he was more than okay with it. "Katsuro Kyouken, Super High-school Level Yo-yoer!"

"Oh, yo-yo's? I never was that good with those, pfft..." Harmon chuckled. Katsuro smiled in a friendly way. "I'll help ya out! Once, uh, I get my yo-yo's back, that is. They're probably stuffed in my room, but..." "... you can't get in there without your ID. right." Katsuro was surprised and just looked at the guy with a slightly open mouth. Huh. "I mean-- I've run into the same issue, and so did Calliope. We both tried asking the higher-ups, but they all said the IDs are gonna take a bit of time to arrive. Bummer, huh? I'd like to see my room..." Katsuro just slowly nodded. "Well, can't be that much longer, right? I'd rather not have to sleep in this hospital bed... or condemn you to the same fate, ha!" An amused chuckle escaped Harmon's lips. The guy definitely seemed friendly enough, even if that Diva got the better of him. He might have to do something about that. Maybe Katsuro was just being a worrywart and playing an unnecessary hero... but you gotta do what you gotta do in the fight against despair, that much he knew.

Just smiling at each other for a while, lingering like that. Katsuro enjoyed it. But it wouldn't last for long, as the PA's all too familiar noise rang...

_*ding dong*_

...

_*ding dong* *ding dong* *ding donggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg*_

It took far more effort than before, and the sound wasn't all too pleasant, either.

> "lals aIA IPO *U GLD S SAL GU SHELOT*((", the incomprehensible voice coldly babbles. "LSDlaaweuih... -will all students please gather in the Dining Hall, please. All students gather in the Dining Hall. A Future F-flas uht38ow9tyo9qew87ryghl", and the voice dies off for a moment, the low hum of the speaker's activation adding to the anticipation of whatever would come next. "A representative has arrived to update you on the situation. Please arrive expeditiously."  
> 

Katsuro and Harmon were both visibly startled by the odd announcement and got up from their beds-- Katsuro definitely had more trouble with it, a painful groan coming from him, and Harmon going to his side to help him a bit. "Let's look what this is all about." Katsuro nodded to the ginger, and hobbled together with him to the dining hall. Seltha came across them on the way, and offered to carry Katsuro on her back again, but he said he was fine this way. Nodding, she walked together with them. The dining hall was already full, which means they were the last people to arrive. Katsuro hated being last... He sat down next to Harmon, who sat next to Calliope. She shot a sweet smile and a nice glance at him with her captivating golden eyes. Harmon clearly didn't take it any better than earlier.

The higher-ups seemed to be confused about this meeting. It turns out that it was not them who called this meeting, but the AI of the castle, Id. That made barely any sense to Katsuro, but what was worse was what was about to come...

_"Upu..."_

Oh.  
 __

##### "Upupu..."

__

Oh **no.**

__

#### "Upupupu-- GYAHAHAHA!!"

__

An all too familiar black and white bear jumped atop the table, which made everyone almost fall out of their seats out of shock. As a self-defense mechanism, called down by one of the higher-ups controlling ID, large gatling guns came out of the ceiling and instead of firing at Monokuma, they fired a line right behind every student, making them jump even further. Harmon's skin looked pale and almost blue from fear. Katsuro himself wasn't feeling all that great, thinking he'd pass out any moment. Why was HE here!? Weren't they called to this place to fight exactly against this guy!? What happened? 

And in a flash, Monokuma seems to have taken over the whole facility in just a shake of his paw. The higher-ups were astonished, and so were all of the students who were meant to fight despair with their strong, hope they all have built up together. "Why... why are you here!?" Katsuro screamed out, his voice ridden with despair, even if he seemed completely different earlier. Harmon seemed just as shaken. "No... not you! You can't be here!" He looked defeated, as if they already lost the battle against despair to come here. "After all I've done to get here..." The ginger muttered that last sentence, and only Katsuro paid enough attention to hear it. It completely seemed to slip past our lovely Diva, though with this situation on hand, he can't exactly blame her. Though amidst all the fear and shock, Calliope managed to say something else... ""I hate to be honest...", which seemed like a lie already to him, "... But wasn't this expected? Why are you all this surprised? This guy has found his way into the most dedicated projects before, so obviously this would be happening again here. Right?"

Thinking about it, her line of thought made sense... but it was not one he was willing to accept! No! Monokuma can't be here! They need to get rid of him, and fast! _'Come on, pull yourself together, Katsuro, this is exactly what he wants...!'_  
"Nice try, Monokuma, but did you really think that we'd play along with your _game_?" Katsuro smirked. Harmon didn't seem quite as confident. "As students sent to this base to fight despair, you would think we would already know of your plight? Why would we want to kill each other when we know that the only thing we need to do is find the mastermind? Besides, becoming a killer has a great higher risk of being found out and executed compared to the reward of escaping! You might as well just give up!"

Monokuma laughed at him, mockingly.   
"Oh, you came here? To fight despair? Well... I hope you can do that from a castle for the rest of your lives, because that's how long you're going to be here otherwise! I mean, if you guys are supposed to be here, why are you not listed in the 'friend' listings in Id's camp perimeter weaponry's IFF (Identify Friend/Foe)? I mean, right now? Even if you did leave, you'd be all shot to pieces. But that's the best part! You guys came here for hope, but there's already so much despair! Beautiful despair! Glorious despair! Despairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespairdespair DESPAIR~! GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Katsuro sinked back into his seat, Harmon did as well. Calliope still seemed the same as before...

"I mean, why are you guys so happy about being trapped here? I'd be mad. Especially at the people who did this to me. I might want to kill them. WANNA KILL THEM ALL~! But that makes even ME wonder... why were you brought here, anyway? Anyone want to answer that? Heh heh heh~"

There was only one answer. 

To falter in despair, it seems.

 

Once Monobear disappeared, everyone scattered. Katsuro could hardly get up because of his damaged foot. "I'm going to go to my room. I need to clear my head." Harmon said, walking off while glancing behind him at Katsuro for a moment. Calliope seemed to be following him again. What an odd girl. Suspicious would hit the mark even better, in fact...  
This place was full of nutters, Katsuro realized. The biggest nutter being Monokuma, of course. Indeed, Harmon was a saving grace of sorts, the quiet wave in the rushing sea of despair, threatening to drown everyone. Harmon was the purity amongst despair.


	2. String of Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Playwright shows emotion.

Katsuro looked over his newly obtained Student Handbook and his room key several times, walking along the guest hall... it was unpleasant, but it was his fault for saying he could walk himself. Incidentally enough, he's going to the exact same person he's told that. He knocked on Seltha's door a few times. "Hey, uh... you okay in there?" It was a silly question, but it was the first thing that came to his mind. He scratched the back of his head. "Uh... I'd like to thank you for taking care of me earlier, Selth--" He couldn't finish his sentence because in a mere flash, the game opened and someone pulled him inside, slamming the door back closed once he was inside. Seltha grumbled, before looking down at Katsuro. "It wasn't anything, just looking out for you." She paused, "What are your plans now? You can walk well, yes?" She took a look at his foot. "And this... new situation." Katsuro sighed out of relief, thinking he was gonna get his face smashed in with how roughly he was getting tugged inside.

Katsuro would've been more aware/nervous of the fact he was in a girls room if it weren't for the tense atmosphere and the omnipresent mood. His foot still kind of sore, he took a seat on the ground, his new found friend. "I really wouldn't call it walking, but I'll manage. And I'm not sure what to think of this situation, not really what I expected, but yeah. The way I look at it, giving into despair will only give that darned bear what he wants. All we can do is retain hope and find a way to beat him." Katsuro was trying to play the hero again. He didn't know if Seltha would grow tired of it, or anyone else in Tartarus Towers would.

"What do you hope for?" Seltha asked, sitting on her hammock. _'Good question,'_ Katsuro thought. He never really thought of hope in that manner. What did he hope for? There were a lot of potential answers: get out of this base safely; defeat Monokuma; live a long, happy life... defeat despair and be a hero. Even if he was just a guy who could perform a few handy tricks with his yo-yos. "I guess I just wanna make the best of what we have right now. Defeat Monokuma, defeat despair and let hope shine over the world..." It sounded like something straight out of a shonen manga. The only part missing was the whole friendship deal. Though with Seltha and Harmon in tow, he most likely's got that covered so far.  
"Hey, Seltha... what do you hope for?" She looked up from her feet, staring right into Katsuro's eyes, seeming a bit unsure. "Uh... to survive, and... well..." She seemed to be deep in thought. "I'm... not sure. I guess." She looked back at her feet.  
"I'll think of something."

Seltha took me back to my room. "You have to open the door, though." Katsuro's eyes widened a bit out of realization. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and pulled out the door key when he found it, unlocking the door to his room. "There we go. And thank you." He grinned. Seltha helped him inside the room. Katsuro was enamoured by the design of it, and he was stoked to finally have his yo-yo's back. Seltha demanded to learn Katsuro's tricks, but she couldn't even really do the basic yo-yoing correctly. She was disappointed, but Katsuro told her that she'll get better. 

It was getting late. The video feed had set in, and Monokuma wished everyone a good night's sleep. (also adding on that they might not wake up again, but Katsuro would rather not think about that) Before that, he crammed as many yo-yos as he could into his pants pockets (his jacket was still in the workout room) and hobbled over to the Hospital, waving to the others there and then requesting a crutch from Id. Retrieving it, he moved back into his room and laid himself into his bed, placing the crutches nearby. He was wondering what Harmon and Seltha were doing, even though it's a bit late... he'd go outside to check, but it'd be a bit difficult to do so. 

_'Mmnn... nnn... this bed is so comfy...'_ mumbled Katsuro, laying in his bed and hugging his pillow like a baby, before slowly opening his eyes, Monokuma's despair-inducing voice waking him. He raised himself up and looked around. "Ah! I'm up! Wait a sec... Oh great, so being trapped here wasn't a dream... oh well. Anyways, let's see... I wanted to get everyone together for a meeting..." He was in deep thought, pressing his fingers against his chin. He looked down at his foot... Katsuro proceeded jumping out of the bed and landing on his foot, the pain was definitely still there and he could feel it. "Yup, gonna take a few more days to heal...", he sighed. His hands snuck upon his pockets, feeling up his yo-yo's. They were still there, which eased his mind. He went over to his bathroom, taking a cold shower to wake up and get moving at full energy. Getting dressed, he realized his jacket was still in the workout room, so he went there next to retrieve it. "... There you are!" He moved over and put his jacket back on. Success! He posed like a hero... and then noticed that he probably shouldn't have dropped his crutch...

Now, the meeting. Katsuro went around the underground shelter, informing everyone of the planned meeting. When he got around to the Dining Hall, he let out a chuckle, seeing Calliope and Harmon together again. The yo-yoer cleared his throat and talked loud enough so that the people in the kitchen could hear him as well. "Hey everyone, it's imperative that we all get together for a meeting before that bear starts trying to get us to kill each other, so I'd like to hold a meeting in here once everyone shows up. I'm gonna look around to catch any stragglers, so can one of you pass the message to anyone who comes in here?" He exhaled and sighed, relieved that he got the message across. Harmon perked up. "Sounds good. I'll stay here, though." Katsuro nodded to him. He went off to the kitchen, and stayed there for a while to make food, and when he came back, an entire argument seemed to be bursting out. The Super Sentai, Seltha, Calliope and Harmon all seemed to be involved. Great...

Katsuro groaned. "Look, I'd personally would rather start this 'meeting' after everyone gets here, but I want to get this out of the way. No one is going to die." Katsuro smiles brightly, knowing that his optimistic attitude is the only thing going for him. "Seltha... Harmon... neither of what you are saying is inherently wrong. Yes, optimally getting out of here and away from the bear is preferable, but remember, we were planning to stay here until the program was done, anyways, so nothing on that agenda has changed. Also, the fact that Monokuma-sensei supplied us with all the necessities to live, we can take as long as we need. Not that I suggest staying here forever, but we need time." The yo-yoer looked over to Seltha in response to her glance. "I understand you don't care much to leave, but that doesn't account for the rest. As time passes, away from their loved ones, humans start to miss and worry for them. Some have families and loved ones to get back to, others have vendettas to complete. Regardless, I don't want you to become a target because the others feel you are impeding their escape... just keep that in mind... alright? ..."

The argument continued.

Harmon's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe this. The loud speeches were really starting to get to him. "Guys... just stop. We all decided to come here to talk about this. Are we really going to get anywhere just by arguing?" He asked. "We're all here for a reason." He said, a small tear forming in his eye."And all this distrust... so early on... What kind of hope do we have when we can't even agree how to fight the enemy because all we're doing is fighting each other!?" He spoke, a couple more tears rolling down his face. Hands curling into little balls and trembling slightly, he turned heel and started to walk away. Harmon stepped outside the dining hall and leaned against the wall. The tears really began to flow. Katsuro couldn't bear it and ran right after him. It was painful to see him cry, that much was certain. "Hey... Harmon... I'm sorry things got out of control in there." He leaned against the wall as well, slipping a tiny bit too close to Harmon, maybe. Their shoulders were almost touching, but Katsuro didn't bother with that. Neither did the playwright, he was too occupied with showing emotion. "I'm not going to tell you to stop crying... let them go... every last one you have... This is going to be a long painful journey if things continue how they are..." The ginger sobbed. The display made Katsuro almost cry himself, but he held it back. 

Harmon didn't listen, seemingly trying to tune everything out. Katsuro heard steps from the other end of the hall around the corner, approaching at a steady pace. The Diva, maybe? Though it wouldn't seem like her to come to him. Unless she wasn't actually making everything up... but she could probably help Harmon out more than the yo-yoer could. _'... No, I can do this myself.'_ Katsuro looked around. It was Seltha. She looked at the two distantly and said "Let's go," leading the way for the yo-yoer, and him only. "No." Katsuro replied coldly, which made Harmon's sobbing quiet down for a moment. Seltha's shoulder slumped, gritting her teeth and groaning. "... Tch." She didn't seem pleased, and walked off just like that. Katsuro let out a frustrated sigh, watching her leave, then turning back to Harmon. He lightly grasped the playwright's red polo, tugging on it a bit. "Come on... I know it's harsh, but we gotta get through this." Harmon finally turned around to face Katsuro, his eyes red from all the crying, warm tears still on his cheek. "... Right... right..." He still seemed to be shaken, but it looks like Katsuro had done it! He played the hero. And he's gonna do it again, soon enough. There was still a meeting to be had. Harmon still seemed to be deep in thought, like as if something was stuck on his mind that he couldn't get away from. Almost as if his head on fire, which wouldn't be all too unlikely if you looked at his hair from a distance. 

Harmon leaned in a bit with his head, almost as if he was laying on the yo-yoer's shoulder. He was inches away from it, though. It would make Katsuro feel a bit embarassing if anyone were to see them right now, especially Calliope... "There we go... now when you're done, dry those tears, alright? You almost got me crying just from watching you... haha..." He let out an insecure chuckle, stuffing his hands into his pockets, firmly gripping a yo-yo for a moment until letting go of it. He didn't do anything about Harmon, either. If the guy needed a shoulder, let him have it. It was a bit awkward between the two, and they just lingered there for a moment. Harmon seemed to be thinking a similar thing to Katsuro, with Calliope seeing them like this. He'd turn as red as his polo. The yo-yoer was still wondering why she's still in the dining hall, no more arguing was to be heard. Which was a good sign, it meant that they could return safely. 

Harmon raised his head and wiped tears off with his hand, still weakly balled into a fist, rubbing a few times. "Alright... and uh, sorry about that." Katsuro slowly and quietly chuckled, once more. "No big deal. It felt.... nice." Now Harmon's cheeks were really tinted red, even if only slightly. He weakly held his arm and took a step forward... Katsuro went into the other direction. He himself headed off back to the Guest Wing, and the playwright seemed to be heading back into the dining hall. After all, there was still a meeting to be held. The yo-yoer spoke while slowly moving away. "Let's stick together, okay?" Harmon was definitely feeling better than before, a faint smile appearing on him. "I'll be fine... let's just pretend this little debacle didn't happen." Katsuro grinned and gave him a thumbs up. The playwright turned around one more time, when the distance was bigger between the two. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right...?"

Katsuro laughed.

"As if anyone would kill you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Might have taken a bit too many parts from the original RP, but oh well.)


End file.
